Feb 2025

Congrats to many of you who got Grammy love earlier in February. Next we tune in to the sounds of Oscar. She mixes intuition and experimentation to achieve recorded excellence. We drop in an iconic studio in Hollywood to hear a beloved producer go immersive. Glad you could join us at NAMM. Watch a new film that celebrates a college radio station turned 60. This book shows why machines won't create a mood that's music to our ears, and more...We hope you can grab an espresso and enjoy this month's serving!

Eva Reistad received additional mixing, and engineering credit on the new soundtrack of Dune 2 composed by Hans Zimmer which won a Grammy Award at the 67th Annual Grammy® Awards in the category of Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media. The sound team for Dune: Part Two created a sonic sense of the desert world that was visceral, tactical, and recognizable as real. They used a mix of sound elements, including the sounds of thumpers, ornithopeters, and the worms. The nomination was for the work of Gareth John, Richard King, Ron Bartlett, and Doug Hemphill.

Reistad was also among studioexpresso's guest speakers at NAMM 2025 at TEC Tracks, and on an Immersive Music panel presented by Trans Audio Group in January.

Eva Reistad is an award-winning audiophile known for film score, and record mixing. The story goes that she got the engineering bug during her college years at a jazz camp. "They also had music studios, where I first witnessed other musicians recording. This made the concept of recording music start buzzing in my head," she says. After graduating from an audio school, she moved to Los Angeles to work at Nightbird Recording Studios. Here credits include: Raye, Hans Zimmer, Alien, Dune 1 & 2, Sherlock Holmes Moriarty feat Helen Mirren,

Read more of her profile here and enjoy the following studioexpresso interview with Eva Reistad: 

SE: How does being a musician support your engineering/mixing career?

ER: I think being a musician helps with a variety things - A major factor is having an intuition when it comes to choosing the best take in recordings. Whether it’s guitar, drums, bass, or even an orchestra- when you get direction from an artist or composer that’s based off the emotional aspect of a performance rather than the technical, it can be really helpful to have that ear. It also helps when taking creative liberties with sonics and gear when recording. I think anyone who listens to a wide variety of music has this skill- but having an idea of what I’d like my own music to sound like from a production standpoint, steers my choices of microphones, preamps, and plugins to help shape a sound that’s unique to me and whatever artist I work with.

SE: What was the highlight of NAMM for you this year?

ER: A highlight of NAMM this year was presenting at the Tech Awards. I have lots of friends in pro-audio on the manufacturing side of the industry, so it was fun being in a room full of people I know getting credit for the products they work so hard to make. The advancement of gear allows us creatives to continue to improve our workflow and sounds - so I love seeing the companies get credit where credit is due. Also - seeing all the nominees in the different categories exposed me to gear I hadn’t heard about…and I’m always excited to learn more about the products out there. 

SE: How did you earn the "Sound Scientist" title?

ER: Hah! Well- I gave myself that title. I love the technical side of this job, and experiencing new and exciting ways to make the process of recording/mixing/producing more fun. I’ve built compressors, dived head first into the world of immersive, and experimented with bending a lot plugins into doing what they weren’t designed to do. As engineers, we use our ears to guide our moves, and we use a ton of technical skills to do it. Scientists are constantly studying while simultaneously being experts in their fields- which I think is similar to the never-ending task of learning and developing new ways to approach the world of engineering.

SE: Hans Zimmer's Dune: Part Two score won Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media at the 67th Annual Grammy® Awards Premiere Ceremony in Los Angeles in February this year. Talk about your role on this project.

ER: My role in that project was recording a plethora of musicians for the score. I really love working with everyone on that team, and there are definitely too many people to name. The days can be long, but that’s due to the sheer amount of creative energy everyone contributes. Dune has a certain sound to it which aids the process of recording, but Hans doesn’t restrict the musicians from interpreting and creating their own sonic flavors to the score. A lot of the instruments are electric (Cello, bass, guitar, etc.), so there’s a lot of experimentation with amp sounds that can go anywhere from mild to complete distortion madness. 

SE: What puts you in a "fabulous space" - habits that make you happy in or out of the studio?

ER: I’ve worked for lots of studios and other engineers in my career, but in the last few years I’ve really been able to make my own schedule which has been awesome. More recently I’ve been trying to do things that get me moving more, which REALLY helps out with my energy levels. I’ve been balancing relaxing habits (my new thing is hot yin-yoga!!) with challenging ones (Intense dance class, hiking, etc) which has been opening my eyes to a whole new world outside the studio. Historically my routine has consisted of massive amounts of caffeine, sitting in front of the computer for 12 hours, and then going home and watching TV or going out to eat with friends. Taking more time for myself and starting to enjoy the challenge of moving my body has given me more to live for than just work!!!

SE: Your Go-to mentor(s)? 

ER: Go-to mentors are all friends around me willing to lend an ear on a mix, help make a business decision, give a good food recommendation, etc. It’s common knowledge at this point that my most important mentor was Alan Meyerson, who contributed to a plethora of skills I now have to navigate this crazy industry. 

SE: I visit your home...what's the first thing you want to share?

ER: Come over for breakfast and I’ll make you chorizo tacos, come for lunch and I’ll make you a lunch panini with Swiss cheese, chicken, fried onions, and mustard, come for dinner and I’ll make you whatever you want. Drinks at request will go with whatever dish you decide.

SE: Best or Least favorite music-related childhood memory?

ER: Listening to my mom's Prince cassette tape on repeat in the car in the nineties. Least favorite is her taking advantage of the surround sound my dad installed in the house by blasting the Irish Rovers every other morning to wake us up for school.

SE: You've earned $1 million -how would you use it? 

ER: Pay off my car, invest, buy the latest model of Mac Book pro, take all my friends on a spa vacation, and buy a kitchen aid. Save the rest. 

SE: Now, describe an "Eva moment" where you felt you have arrived!

ER: Mixed the music for a musical that premiered at the world fair in Dubai.

SE: You mixed "Gravity Purge" scored by Benjamin Wallfisch at his Atmos studio, The Mix Lab in Santa Monica. Talk about the project?

ER: Alien (the movie) was such an awesome experience to work on due to Ben’s great ears, his amazing studio, and the fact that all the recordings took place at Abbey Road Studios. Ben is really involved with the mixing process which I wasn’t used to, but ended up being a really cool and unique experience. He has a way of shaping and carving out sounds so that everything has a place in the mix, and because we went all in on automation, the music moved in a super dynamic way. The writing played homage to the original score quite a bit, so referencing the original themes and them implementing those sonics into the mix was really fun. 

SE: Who's on your playlist this month?

ER: Doechii, James Newton Howard.

Nathan Chapman is a three-time GRAMMY®-winning producer and songwriter who began his career producing Taylor Swift's first five albums, including the groundbreaking 1989 His production credits span multiple genres and include work with artists such as Lady A, Kesha, Michael Bublé, Kylie Minogue,

Dan + Shay, Martina McBride, and Darius Rucker. Chapman's productions have resulted in fourteen #1 hits and numerous multi-platinum records.

Now Chapman has partnered with Inside Blackbird, the content production and educational arm of the legendary Blackbird Studio in Nashville, TN, to launch the new course, Building A Song with Nathan Chapman.

"It's important to me and to (Blackbird owner) John McBride that we pass this hard-earned knowledge to the next generation of music makers. It can take a lot of hard work to get really good at this, but that’s where the real joy happens. We want to help jump start that level of experience. While we're filming in a world-class facility, everything taught can be replicated with basic audio gear and entry-level software, making this knowledge accessible to anyone passionate about creating music."

Course includes:

·       Advanced production techniques and workflow

·       Vocal tracking methods

·       Multi-instrument layering approaches

·       Easy to understand audio mixing guidance

·       Advice on the functional role of a producer

Blackbird Studios is the renowned recording complexes founded in 2002 by legendary sound engineer John McBride and country superstar Martina McBride.

Building a Song with Nathan Chapman is available now for a one-time fee of $39. here

Daniel Nigro (Olivia Rodrigo and Chappell Roan) has been nominated for 16 Grammy® Awards from which he won Best Pop Vocal Album for his work on Rodrigo's Sour as well as Producer of the Year (Non-Classical) in 2025.

Of course you can find him on his socials and read about his credits on AllMusic or Jaxsta. He writes (over 180 songs), performs, engineers, and produces.

Songwriter, vocalist/singer, multi-instrumentalist (guitarist, keyboardist, pianist, bassist), Nigro formed Amusement Records, where he released Chappell Roan’s highly anticipated debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, alongside Island Records. As of July 2024, the album has reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 200 and almost 1B streams worldwide.

"When I set out writing and producing music in LA twelve years ago, I never had any intention of starting a record label. But after @chappellroan was dropped from her deal in 2021, we (Chappell and I) decided to go it alone and start releasing music and funding the project ourselves. It’s been one of the most rewarding and exciting experiences of my life- helping decide what songs to release, when to release them, when the songs feel like they are finished..."

--Dan Nigro

Immersive At East West

Presented by IDL And Featuring Willie Porter & Producer Matt Wallace

Above: Clockwise: Producer Matt Wallace with Willy Porter (middle), Carmen Nickerson, Ryan Pearl , Will Kennedy, and Mai Bloomfield at East West studio 1

Left: Engineer Will Kennedy at the console with Adriane Weidmann of IDL, and Matt Wallace by control room main ATC speakers. Photo: By The C

A live immersive recording session took place on January 25 at the iconic East West Studio One in Hollywood.

Producer Matt Wallace and engineer Will Kennedy recorded Willy Porter and his musical collaborators Mai Bloomfield (Cello), Carmen Nickerson (voice) & Ryan Pearl (guitar), live, with an audience, using Immersive Digital Lab (IDL) 7.0.4 recording array, including IDL microphones. Eleven (11) mics were used to capture the ensemble, harking back to the storied live recordings made of Frank Sinatra in the same space. The playback system was provided by Kali Audio.

Porter’s songs weave a universal perspective about the struggles, and triumphs of human existence. Porter’s voice blends and fuses with his acoustic and electric fret work. He has toured with sting, Paul Simon, and Jeff Beck. His annual benefit concerts have raised more than $100,000 for organizations like Ozaukee, a shelter and treatment facility for victims of domestic violence in Mequon, Wisconsin.

In 2005 Porter launched his own label, Weasel Records with longtime keyboardist/ collaborator Dave Adler. Visit Willy Porter and his upcoming Tour dates here

feat

The film’s main highlights focus on the journey and working process of the people at KCSM, both individually and what they bring to the station that creates a musical movement to support, promote and keep jazz alive.  A special jazz ethos emerges from listening to the station and watching the film.

The film shows the staff's love for jazz, their appreciation of the artists and the art-form, and their deep respect for jazz history. The announcers are given the freedom to play what they choose.  Songs are selected and curated to let the listener learn about a new facet of an old favorite song, or discover new favorites.  No algorithm can recreate or capture this process.  

KCSM boasts a library of 100,000+ music titles (and growing). The station inherited the music library of KJAZ radio upon its closure in 1994.

The journey of jazz music began with individuals and groups that contributed to what would become America’s original musical art form.  Musicians and vocalists continued to play and sing about their lives and experiences, their inner joys and struggles, and persevered through times and situations where they and their artistry were not always accepted, liked, or wanted.  Today, jazz continues to evolve, as it also inspires musicians of all ages, and merges with other musical genres to create new ones.  This is the legacy of jazz, and is also essential to its future.  By looking back, KCSM aims to move forward to invite and engage the next generation of jazz artists and listeners.

KCSM is currently in their 2025 Winter Pledge Drive.  With a donation, they are offering the film (watch the trailer ) documentary on Blu-ray with the companion audio documentary produced by distinguished vocalist and producer Melanie O'Reilly.  

East West's legendary Studio One (Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Rolling Stones) is booked for variety of sessions from single voice to 70-piece symphonic orchestra. Brent Fischer Orchestra recorded in one with a 56-piece ensemble.

Spanning over 61,000 cubic feet with a vibrant sound, the iconic studio comes complete with a spacious isolation booth and a beautiful Bechstein D-280 Concert Grand Piano. The control room features an 80-channel Neve 8078 Console, the largest in the world (originally commissioned for Michael Jackson's best-selling album, Thriller).

Each room at East West is equipped with a DB Technologies db4496 A/D-D/A Converter and ATC SCM25 Pro Mk2 house monitors along with NS10/ProAc speakers and are set up with Pro tools HD.

Right: Grammy-winner producers Brent Fischer and Dave Reitzas in studio one control room during a VIP event hosted by Source Connect

photos: by the C

Housed in 1920s Medinah Temple, the historic landmark studios, for almost six decades, The Village has recorded hundreds of legendary Grammy Award-winning albums and Academy Award-winning movie soundtracks. One of the studio's Grammy-winning, staff engineers, Alex Williams, used ATC 25s on the Jon Batiste We Are sessions, as well as the award-winning Odessa sessions. He also worked with Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, Regina Spektor, Perry Farrell and many more. Noted Williams, “The quality of ATC’s design and construction is apparent upon opening the box. From recording to mixing, the ATCs perform flawlessly on rock, pop, hip-hop, jazz, or orchestral. I know what I’m hearing is what I’m getting. I’m thrilled that The Village is outfitting three studios with the new ATC SCM25A Pro Mk2s.”

“Choosing ATC SCM25A Pro Mk2s for Village's main studios is an incredible validation of this product’s excellence,” says Brad Lunde, president and founder of TransAudio Group.

Top Left: Jeff Greenberg, owner and CEO with Snoop Dogg at The Village

Starstruck Entertainment, the parent company of Starstruck Studios was founded in 1988 by Narvel Blackstock. Located on Music Row, Starstruck Studios is considered one of the top iconic Nashville recording facilities, and recently chose an ATC 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos configuration and paired it with their SSL System TS-500 console for their Dolby Atmos room.

"ATC 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos system is cited as the speaker system of choice for the growing number of multichannel immersive sound studios.

Manufactured and designed in the UK to the highest engineering standards, it was only natural ATC could develop this solid niche," says Brad Lunde of Trans Audio Group.

Invest in Good Speaker Stands. Why? While looks can be deceiving, you must have seen concrete blocks and other DIY configurations used in some project studios. Speaker stands may not be on top of your purchasing list, but this 19-minute video by Colt Capperrune @ColtCapperrune may change your mind. $20 block stands are compared with professional stands ranging from $140 Gators to $1,200 Sound Anchor stands. Can you guess which one performs the best? check it out here Adjust-ability is also important for Speakers. For optimum sound quality the speaker’s acoustical axis should be at approximately ear level for the most consistent and best sound.

Sound Anchor adjustable monitor stands allow you to adjust the position of the monitors (height, angle and tilt) so you can place the monitors where they need to be for the highest quality sound.

Sound Anchors and Redmount products are designed and manufactured in Palm Bay, Florida U.S.A. using American parts and skilled American labor. click here for Sound Anchor dealers in USA

ATC models:

SCM25As

SCM45As,

SCM50ASLs

SCM100ASLs

"ATC monitors are something you have to experience. Lets just say that you can hear details you’ve never heard before, leading you to faster, more accurate decisions in your creative process," says Brad Lunde, President of Trans Audio Group

ATC SCM 25a pro mk2 has been upgraded with ATC’s hand made proprietary SH25-76S Dual Suspension Tweeter, extending the high-frequency response with a reduction in distortion. " The best of the best rely on ATC monitoring as their main solution for tracking, mixing and mastering. Like the original SCM25A, the new upgraded Mk2 is a compact 3-way high-performance active studio monitor loudspeaker, based around the hand made proprietary ATC 3”/75mm soft mid-dome driver and 6.5”/164mm bass driver loaded in a 25-litre vented cabinet," adds Brad Lunde, President of Trans Audio Group. Models range from $5,000 to $50,000 per pair and all share a very similar sound. For larger rooms and midfield, applications check out the SEM45 with dual 6.5-inch drivers and the fantastic SEM150 with a 15-inch woofer and 350 Watts of power. More info here

TransAudio Group, U.S. distributer of the finest professional recording equipment in the world, is pleased to announce the new ATC SCS70 Pro, a compact, ultra-high performance subwoofer using ATC’s first, in-house-designed and built sub driver.

Designed by Billy Woodman and his team of engineers, this new 12-inch sub driver delivers the kind of honest and detailed low-frequency information that professionals have come to expect from ATC. “Subwoofers can be a source of distortion, making the mixing or mastering process a guessing game. Now an ATC system, complete with the one or two SCS70 subs, can deliver full bandwidth audio for any genre, enabling superior translation on any system it gets played on, from ear buds to home hi-fi to clubs and everything in-between. Other subwoofers rely on EQ and poorly implemented ports, transmission lines or passive radiators to boost low end and make their subs sound impressive," says Brad Lunde. USA List Price: $5,490.00 USA MAP: $4,990.00

Above: studioexpresso and Trans Audio Group presented "Atmos-ize Your Music" at NAMM on Thursday January 23, 2025. Below: Speakers for the session: l-r: Cam O'Bi, Brad Lunde of Trans Audio Group, Ryan Ulyate, Eva Reistad, Brent Fischer, Harry Weinger of UMG, and Claris Sayadian Dodge of studioexpresso.

Universal Music Group's Harry Weinger (Marvin Gaye, Bob Marley, Frank Sinatra), Engineers Eva Reistad (Dune 1,2, Alien, Sherlock Holmes) and Ryan Ulyate (Tom Petty, Act3) joined producers Cam 'Obi (J Cole, Chance the Rapper ) and Brent Fischer (Usher, D'Angelo) to share their takes on when Atmos-izing music makes sense, how it changes your tracking strategy, what to consider when choosing an Atmos mixer or studio, and offered trade tips on where to invest in your studio and what modifications to expect when adding immersive features to your space. Th talk ended with Q&A by attendees. The 45-minute session was moderated by Brad Lunde of Trans Audio Group and Claris Sayadian-Dodge of studioexpresso.

studioexpresso and Trans Audio Group have featured many producers, and musicians over the past ten years of TEC Track's history at NAMM

Curt Bisquera (Sarah McLachlan, Elton John), Kenny Aronoff (Smashing Pumpkins, John Mellencamp, Sting), Greg Penny (Elton John, KD Lang), Rafa Sardina (Lady Gaga, John Legend), Niko Bolas (Neil Young, LeAnn Rimes), Eddie Kramer (Jimi Hedrix, Kiss), Matt Wallace (Maroon 5, Faith No More), Cheche Alara (Christina Aguilera), Kim Bullard (Elton John, Kelly Clarkson), Cristina Abaroa (Celine Dion, Enrique Iglasias), Brady Leffler (Hot Chelle Rae, Justin Beieber), Al Schmitt (Diana Krall, Paul McCartney), Alex Acuna (LA Phil, Beck), Teddy Campbell (American idol, The Tonight Show w Leno), Ellis Hall (Ray Charles, Tower of Power), Jacob Armen (Prince), Peter Asher (James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt), Larry Klein (Joni Mitchell, Melody Gardot), Manny Marroquin (Bruno Mars, Alicia Keys), Dave Schiffman (Adele, Limp Bizkit), Gregg Field (Sinatra, Pharell), Sylvia Massy (Tool, Johnny Cash), CJ Vanston (Toto, spinal Tap), Dame Gail Dorsey (David Bowie, Gwen Stefani), Jenny Mason (The Mrs), Neal Pogue (Outkast, Andre 3000), Leland Sklar (Phil Collins, James Taylor), Moogie Canazio (Sergio Mendes, Sarah Vaughan), Daniel Seeff (KJazz, Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz), James Torme, Zev Feldman of Resonance Records (Sarah Vaughan, Bill Evans, Nat King Cole), John Wooler of Mood Media (Flying Lotus, Elton John, Miles Davis), David Benoit, Matt Wong, Ryan Ulyate (Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers), Ian Charbonneau (Mana, Neil Young, Jake Owen) and Grammy^®-winning Brent Fischer (Usher, Elvis Costello, Symphonic Prince).

Bettermaker Mastering Limiter 2.0 Convenient, easy-to-use plug-in control and instant recall.

“From Grammy-award winners, to top international recording artists, home and free-standing recording studios, the original Mastering Limiter is that piece of go-to gear that adds that particular dynamic edge and significant touch towards the end of the recording process.

The Bettermaker Mastering Limiter 2.0 has faster release time, a lowered noise floor and the same 100% analog signal path with the ease of digital plug-in control and recall. This one is a superstar product,” adds Brad Lunde, president, and founder of TransAudio Group

Watch Vlog review by DJ, Producer, Jon Sine of the new Bettermaker Mastering 2.0 here

The Bettermaker Mastering Limiter 2.0 is priced at $3,500 in USA and is now available for shipping.

"The Daking Mic Pre 4T, nominated for a TEC Award 2023, will elevate any recording offering unique solutions to common problems," say Brad Lunde (click top left image for a video presentation by Brad Lunde). The “low-distortion” Jensen input and output transformers offer more linear low-end performance under super dynamic conditions. Daking’s own variable high-pass filter dials out the low-frequency mud that can be subsonic and will decrease available headroom. Built in the USA, Daking uses only high-end parts like Jensen input and output transformers in a high-end design using all-discrete transistor Class A circuitry. Unusually high 24dB of headroom and easy to read twenty segment meters make proper gain staging easy and forgiving under a wider array of conditions.

Auratone Celebrates its 50th anniversary, Auratone and its US distributor, TransAudio Group, introduced the first-ever Active 5C, nominated for TEC Awards at NAMM 2023.

A careful R&D process has been implemented to maintain the original characteristics of the 5C, utilizing the same amplifier design from the NAMM TEC Award winning A2-30 amplifier.

“We were happy to get boutique Polish manufacturer Bettermaker together with Alex Jacobsen, owner, and grandson of founder Jack Wilson, for the perfectly matched A2-30 amplifier. Now, the two companies have collaborated to get a mono amplifier that contains the guts and soul of the A2-30 into each chassis for the active version,” says Brad Lunde, founder, and president of TransAudio Group.

The Auratone Active 5C is now shipping • MAP: $749/pair

Like the other 5C variants, the Auratone ACTIVE 5C is made in the USA.



Trans Audio Group -- The Recording Studio Equipment Experts. Call to order from their trusted brands:

A-Designs (USA), ATC Loudspeakers (UK), Auratone, Bettermaker, Daking Audio, Drawmer, Hakan, Latch Lake, Mojave Audio, Mutec, Pete's Place Audio, Sabra-Som, Subwoofer Pros, and Tube-Tech 

Questions- pricing, availability and dealer locations please email sales@transaudiogroup.com

The new Drawmer 1971 4-band parametric EQ, available in the U.S. from TransAudio Group.

Trans Audio Group introduces the new Drawmer 1971 4-Band Parametric EQ. This new edition to the Drawmer 70s series of FET-based gear offers two channels of fully featured 4-band parametric EQ and a new CRUSH button with the ability to deliver a myriad of unique musical applications on each bandwidth.

Noted Brad Lunde, president and founder of TransAudio Group, “Widely popular, the Drawmer 70’s series has received many industry awards, and this new EQ is sure to follow. The features embodied in the 1971, plus the amazing new CRUSH button, allow for fine-tuned tactile tone sculpting. CRUSH is a dramatic tool. Engineers and producers will love the diverse and subtle creative options. Drawmer gear is designed and handmade by Drawmer in the UK – no small feat for a pro audio manufacturer.”

Now Available. Price: $1799.00 Details here

In related news: In May 2024, The MLC (The Mechanical Licensing Collective) brought an action in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York to address the unprecedented steps taken by Spotify. Congress authorized The MLC to take legal action in situations like this, to enforce the payment obligations of digital services under the Blanket License.

On January 29, 2025, the court granted Spotify’s motion to dismiss the case.

A copy of the ruling can be found here.

Hosted by Conan O’Brien, the 97th Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 2, 2025, at the Dolby® Theater at Ovation Hollywood and will be televised live on ABC, streamed live on Hulu and airs live in more than 200 territories worldwide.

Previously announced Oscars presenters include Halle Berry, Penélope Cruz, Robert Downey Jr., Elle Fanning, Whoopi Goldberg, Scarlett Johansson, John Lithgow, Cillian Murphy, Amy Poehler, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, June Squibb, Emma Stone and Bowen Yang.

Emilia Pérez leads the pack with the most nominations of the night with 13, setting a record for a non-English movie. Tied for second, is A24’s The Brutalist and Wicked with 11 nods

Get ready for your own Oscar party! Here's our favorite music/sound categories.

View full list of nominees here Congrats all!

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)

NOMINEES

THE BRUTALIST

Daniel Blumberg

CONCLAVE

Volker Bertelmann

EMILIA PÉREZ

Clément Ducol and Camille

WICKED

John Powell and Stephen Schwartz

THE WILD ROBOT

Kris Bowers

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG)

NOMINEES

EL MAL

from Emilia Pérez; Music by Clément Ducol and Camille; Lyric by Clément Ducol, Camille and Jacques Audiard

THE JOURNEY

from The Six Triple Eight; Music and Lyric by Diane Warren

LIKE A BIRD

from Sing Sing; Music and Lyric by Abraham Alexander and Adrian Quesada

MI CAMINO

from Emilia Pérez; Music and Lyric by Camille and Clément Ducol

NEVER TOO LATE

from Elton John: Never Too Late; Music and Lyric by Elton John, Brandi Carlile, Andrew Watt and Bernie Taupin

SOUND

NOMINEES

A COMPLETE UNKNOWN

Tod A. Maitland, Donald Sylvester, Ted Caplan, Paul Massey and David Giammarco

DUNE: PART TWO

Gareth John, Richard King, Ron Bartlett and Doug Hemphill

EMILIA PÉREZ

Erwan Kerzanet, Aymeric Devoldère, Maxence Dussère, Cyril Holtz and Niels Barletta

WICKED

Simon Hayes, Nancy Nugent Title, Jack Dolman, Andy Nelson and John Marquis

THE WILD ROBOT

Randy Thom, Brian Chumney, Gary A. Rizzo and Leff Lefferts

The majority of GRAMMY winners on Music’s Biggest Night are revealed during the Premiere Ceremony, featuring performances and presentations by Grammy® nominees and winners. 

The Grammy®  Awards Premiere Ceremony took place at Peacock Theatre L.A. Live on Sunday, Feb. 8, from 12:30–3:30 p.m. PT, and presented awards in approximately 85 categories, with Kendrick Lamar and Beyoncé being major winners, and the ceremony was hosted by songwriter Justin Tranter.

CEO of the Recording Academy, Harvey Mason Jr praised the Premiere all-star band and his director, Cheche Alara. The band shined again this year with fabulous musicians to include: Tammy Hurt, Dean Parks, Leland Sklar, and Luis Conte. Congrats to all the winners, including those in fun categories like Classical music producer , Elaine Martone, her 6th Grammy Award; Sheila E. won Best Global Music Performance (‘Bemba Colora’ was featured in Nov studioexpresso video spotlight ); and Best Global Music Album for Alkebulan II (was featured in Nov studioexpresso: A Soulful Orchestral Journey Spanning Three Continents) was awarded to Matt B.

The live stream of the Premiere Ceremony will remain on GRAMMY.com as video on demand for 30 days following the event.

Best Global Album at the 67th Grammy® Awards

Alkebulan II: A Soulful Orchestral Journey Spanning Three Continents

Below: Matt B team backstage at the Peacock Theatre wins Best Global Music Album.

Front Row l-r: Jett Galindo, Nomfundo Khambule, Matt B, Angela Benson, MB Gordy, Kitt Wakeley.

Back Row: Brent Fischer, Seku Andrews, Matte "Tarley" Shahidu. Photo: Courtesy of Rankin for The Recording®

Matt B's sequel to his African-inspired album Alkebulan II is a soulful orchestral journey spanning three continents and now winner of a Grammy® in the category of Best Global Music. The album dropped on Aug 23 with an accompanying short-film screening which premiered at the Regal Cinemas, Los Angeles on September 20. The album also entered in the Billboard's top 100 album chart. 

The production bridged three continents with arrangement and orchestration by Grammy®-winning Brent Fischer in Los Angeles, Recording in London at the legendary Abbey Road Studios, and filming several, soon to be released, music videos in Africa. This is the second collaboration between Matt B and Fischer who is also credited as one of the producers.

Alkebulan is believed to be the name of the continent of Africa with its ancient civilization dating back over 5000 years. The name has come to represent resilience and diversity of a nation which parallels Matt B's own dreams and ambition to record quality albums. 

The sound soars with epic cinematic flavors combined with introspective spoken words. 

This voyage of sound and soul was made in three continents of North America, Europe and Africa. 

Producers are: Matt B, Angela Benson, Kitt Wakeley, MB Gordy, Wabwire "B.I.T." Shedrack and Brent Fischer (interview with Fischer in Nov Issue of studioexpresso).

Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us" nabbed the rapper five more golden gramophones, including his first for Record Of The Year and Song Of The Year at the 2025 Grammys earlier in February. 

The West Coast Rap King, Lamar, is considered the first hip-hop artist to win a Pulitzer Prize, achieving this distinction for his 2017 ALBUM "DAMN." And, now he's also the first solo rapper to have headlined the NFL Super Bowl halftime show.

Harry Connick jr, LEDICI and composer and artist Jon Batiste opened the games. Batiste offered his magnificent bluesy rendition of Star Spangled Banner, singing at his custom-painted Yamaha piano, and repeated "Land of the Free" 3X. 



Hip-Hop is like a competitive sport. Theme "America" was evident in the 22x Grammy-winner, Lamar's program at the Super Bowl.

His set included a play station board, a US flag (frequently divided) comprised of dancers dressed in red, white and blue, all brought to you by his PG.Lang productions

Lamar touched on politics, sprinkling symbolism and culture cheat codes throughout the show. It started with a poetic Uncle Sam (Tom), played by Samuel L. Jackson, lecturing Lamar: "Too loud, too reckless, too ghetto. Mr. Lamar, do you really know how to play the game? Then tighten up!" and later, he yells: "Score Keeper deduct one life," as dancers used their bodies to display crime- scene chalk outlines on stage.

There were special appearances by SZA, and producer Mustard. Lamar unfolded the scenes on and off the game board with his songs: "Peekaboo," “Humble” “DNA” and  "Not Like Us."

Tennis champ Serena Williams took the stage in defiance with her brat-like Crip walk, also known as the C-Walk, a dance move that was created in the 1970s. Williams has faced heavy criticism at times over her appearance and for her dance moves after winning tennis matches at Wimbledon.

Lamar's guests joined the football players to represent the cream of the crop in black culture from film, music to sports.

Consider this. The average salary for an NFL player in 2024 is around $3.2 million, but this figure varies widely depending on the player's position and experience. The median base salary is $860,000. Each player on the winning team will receive a $171,000 bonus, with total post-season bonuses potentially reaching $350,000. Only 27% of football players in NFL are white, which goes to show you, the game rewards those who are highly skilled and competitive. Lamar's show appeared to be directed to a black audience but not necessarily the majority. Kendrick Lamar's net worth is estimated to be approximately $140 million. While the NFL may cover travel costs for artists, they maintains its long-standing tradition of not paying performers for the pregame and halftime shows beyond the minimum union scale requirements.

For me this was less about Lamar's feud with Drake (despite “Euphoria” the diss track aimed at him), or cultural inequalities, rather about being on top of your game. The bigger idea is Lamar's story telling ability that speaks to different audiences. Yes, games are competitive --football like rap has its rivals (East Coast VS West Coast), and yes, there's culture-divide in America, but ironically, Lamar who won't play by any rules, personifies those he targets. Lamar sites lyrics from his song “TV Off”: "The revolution 'bout to be televised, you picked the right time but the wrong guy." Perhaps Lamar is asking Americans (black or white) it's up to them how they play the game. Or is this a throwback to Lamar's theme of choosing between "wickedness (defined as strength) or weakness?"

The 2025 13-minute Superbowl half-time act required active listening and while the social media exchange blew up the following day, with those who didn't get it or didn't find the show entertaining enough, others, including the press and yours truly, loved it. 

Lamar made his point. After all, you've succeeded when your Art and Expression evokes strong reactions. For Lamar and his team, " GAME OVER” which is what got displayed at the end of Lamar’s Super Bowl 59 halftime performance on Sunday as the Philadelphia Eagles led the Kansas City Chiefs (22-40).

Lamar's performance in front of a 1987 Buick GNX on a raised platform, also gave a nod to his current “GNX” album (left).

Life is a competitive game. Who gets to play and how, is a choice.

OSCAR History

The Oscar statuette is the most recognized award in the world. His life began in 1927 when MGM art director Cedric Gibbons sketched the figure of a knight gripping a sword, standing in front of a reel of film. The reel stood for the original five branches of the Academy – actors, directors, producers, technicians and writers – and the sword symbolized protection for the welfare and advancement of the industry. Gibbons chose Los Angeles sculptor George Stanley to realize his design. In the finished design (13 1/2 inches tall and weighs a robust 8 1/2 pounds cast in bronze with 24-karat gold finish), the figure of the knight was streamlined and the film reel moved beneath its feet. The now iconic statuette was born!

Since the initial awards banquet on May 16, 1929, in the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel’s Blossom Room, over 3,000 statuettes have been presented. About the name: Academy librarian and eventual executive director Margaret Herrick thought it resembled her Uncle Oscar and said so, and that the Academy staff began referring to it as Oscar. In any case, by the sixth Awards presentation in 1934, Hollywood columnist Sidney Skolsky used the name in his column in reference to Katharine Hepburn’s first Best Actress win.

Guest engineers look at the vintage console's construction at The Les Paul Studio @ United Recording..photo: Courtesy of Christopher Joseph Mallamasi.

Many iconic artists have recorded at United Recording (formerly Ocean Way), including Lionel Richie, Joni Mitchell, Cher, Luis Miguel, Elton John, Linda Ronstadt, and Jellyfish.

Now the legendary recording studio is also a living museum with its technological evolution at full display. The studio houses the first Ampex multitrack 8-ch mixing consoled, a restored Ampex 300 8-Track recorder used by sound pioneer Les Paul.

Tom Camuso from the Les Paul Foundation brings Les Paul’s legacy to life, connecting the industry’s storied past with the possibilities of the digital future.

Right: At East West Studio 1 with producer Matt Wallace

Until next month,

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Claris Sayadian-Dodge, founder/editor

claris@studioexpresso.com